Dispensing cigarette case



Jan. 4, 1949. J, P, ZAlDAN 4 2,457,966

DISPENSING CIGARETTE CASE n Filed Nov. 6; 1946 mGARETTl-:s Wg/f ff;

r JRZazJa/n s@ MM 1W/"WS Patented Jan. 4, `1949 UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE i 2,457,96o y DIsPENsIuG GIGARECrrE CASE Joseph 1?.,zaidan`, Philadelphia, Pa. Application November 6, 1946, Serial No.`708,137

This invention relates to cigarette cases.y

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved cigarette case ofthe kind to'be more particularly described hereinafter having a spring-pressed ejector for moving certain of the inserted into the case and `prepared for the op.- 1

eration of the ejector by merely `tearing an upper and a lower corner of the paper package before inserting the entire package into the case.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved cigarette case of this kind which l is formed ofa .minimum number of parts and is so constructed and arranged to provide for ready forming and assembling by mass production methods, thus providing for a low cost of manufacturing whereby the benefits of such construcl tion may be passed to the purchaser in the form of a very eicient low-priced" cigarette case having the service of the more intricate, complexly composed, more expensive cigarette cases of this kind on the market.

With the above and other objects in view,v my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims;

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a cigarette case constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical section of the case, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the upper end of the cigarette case, the cover and ejector being removed.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I0 designates generally a cigarette case, having a spring-pressed ejector, constructed according to an embodiment of this invention. The case Ill is formed of a rectangular body II having an open upper end. The body II is of sufcient size and dimensions to snugly enclose a package of ciga- 2 claims.` (c1. 20e-411.2)

rettes as normally sold in paper packages of twenty, and is preferably made of aluminum or other suitable material to preserve the shape of the package and the cigarettes therein when the case may be carried in the pocket of the user, though other materials as plastic may be preferred by certain manufacturers and sellers. The upper edges of the body II are cut away on one end of the upper edge and along the sides from the reduced end partially along the length of both sides of the body to provide a recess in which the slidable cover I2 engages whereby the upper surface of the cover I2 is substantially iiush with the upper edge of the body II.

The cover I2 is formed of a U-shaped strip of material having a closed outer end and an open inner end, the downwardlyk extending arms I4 of thecover forming anges which overlie the sides'of the body with which the cover engages. The body II is further formed with an elongated slot I5 near to and parallel with the upper edge thereof near one end ofboth sides to provide a guide in which the cover I2 engages to hold the cover from being inadvertently removed. A vertically extending slot I6 communicates with the slot I5 near the outer edge thereof and opens up wardly from the upper edge of the sides of the` body I I. Pins or detents II are xed to the opposite sides of the cover I2 and extend inwardly therefrom. The pins Il are adapted to slidingly engage in the slots I 5 and I6 for slidably securing the cover I2 to the bodyI I.

' A spring-pressed cigarette ejector I8 is slidably secured inthe case I0 on one side opposite from f the side on which the cover I2 engages, and is provided for raising certain ones of the cigarettes atthat end of the case upwardly from the level of the package to a point where the upper end of these certain cigarettes may be readily reached by a user without damaging the cigarette.

The ejector I 8 is formed of a flat piece of metal substantially L-shaped, of a width slightly less than the width of the end of the body II so the ejector may slide on one side wall of the body. The lower horizontal arm I9 of the ejector extends inwardly from the end wall a short distance to underlie a certain number of cigarettes and engages over the free inner end of the shelf 20 fixed in the case. The shelf 20 is fixed in the body I I parallel to and spaced upwardly from the bottom thereof and extends nearly across the width of the case. The shelf 20 is formed with an elongated slot 2| at its inner free end which extends part way to the side wall of the case I0 opposite from the ejector I-8 to permit the spring 22 to press the ejector upwardly. The spring 22 is formed of a fiat resilient strip of metal and is fixed at one end to the bottom of the body I I by engaging .through the bottom wall and the free end of the spring engages the under side of the arm I9 4of the ejector I8 between the sides of Kthe slot 2I, the normal -or released position of the spring being shown in dotted lines in Figure 2.

The vertical arm 24 of the lejector I8 lies flat against the end wallof the body "I I; and isslidably secured thereto by a screw 25 which vengages through the vertically extending slot 26 in the` end wall. The head or outer` end of the screw 2li 4 is provided with an enlarged headl or handle 2l,

which the operator may readily engage with a ling-er for retracting the ejector after use. vvThe length of the vertical -arnr 24 is substantiallyequal to the length of the end wall from the y shelf 28 to the upper edge of the body II.

A second cover or closure 28 is hingedly secured to the upper end of the arm 24 and normalh ly extends inwardly of the body I I parallel to the lower arm I9 of the ejector I8. The coverr28 is provided for 'covering that end of the case and those cigarettes on the arm I9 of the ejectorin the closedposition of the case' I0 which Will rise frointhe case as the case is opened. Thecover 28 is adapted Ito lie flushwith thelupper edges of the bodyfI I, in its closed position, andthe free end is of -a Alength suflicient to lie under the free open end 4of the cover I2, in its closed position, toY completely close and seal the upper open end of thebody II. 1 1

In the use and operation of this case III, a paper package. of cigarettes 38 should he torn. at the upper and lower corners on the top arid-side of one end, asfmore clearly shown in Figure 2. The cover `I2-is removed completely from ythe body I.I and the package lSI1 insertedinto `the case with the upper torn corner adjacent the hinge 3I rof the open cover 28, :the opened cover being shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, The cover 28 is then moved closed and the slider 21 is :pressed down,h wardly so the cover I2 may be placed back on the body I I with the pins or detents slidably engaging in the slots I5, and'having the open inner end overlying the inner end of the closure 28. vWhen the case I'i is used-to dispense cigarettes, the cover 121s slid outwardly in the slots I5 by the :linger of an operator engaging the handle 34 on` :the upper side thereof, whereupon the spring `22 presses the ejector IB'upwardly a short 'dist-ance to raise certain cigarettes upwardly from the case, and' the cover 28 is readily moved out of the way.

For restoring the case I0 to position for ejecting other cigarettes, the user merely moves the. cover 28 inwardly, presses the head 21 downwardly and slides the cover I2 back to engage over the inner end of the cover 28. The normal bouncing around of the case I0 is usually sutdcient to move other cigarettes on to the arm I9 of the ejector I8, and when the supply is nearly exhausted the case may be .tilted and the cigarettes in the case will fall into ,place on the ejector I 8.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all y'variationsfalling within the purview of the appended'claim-s.

What I cla'im is:

1. A cigarette case of the kind described comprlsing abody having an open upper end, an L- shaped ejector in said body on one side thereof, resilient means constantly urging said ejector upwardly `in said body, a sliding cover on one side of said body opposite from said ejector, a hinged cover on the upper end of said ejector, said hinged cover partially underlying said sliding cover in the closed position thereof whereby said ejector is restrained in said casein .the `closed lposition of said sliding -cover and is urged upwardly to extend from said case upon sliding of' said sliding cover to the open position.

2. A cigarette case comprising a hollow body having an open upper end,a sliding cover for closing a part of said yopen end, means slidably securing said sliding cover on said body, an vejector slidably mounted in said body `on one side ythereofcpposite from said slidin'gcover,V spring means urging said eject-or upwardly in said body for raising cigarettes thereon upwardly `from said body, a hinged closure on the upper end of said ejector, said sliding closure partially overlying the inner end of said hinged `closure forfrestraining said ejector in said body inthe closed position of said sliding closure wherebo7 said ejector is free to slide upwardly in said body upon mov-ernentofsaid sliding closure to open position.

` `JOSEPH P. ZAIDAN.

, l REFERENCES CITED" 'The following referencesare of record in the ille of this patent: f .UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Y 1,187,195 Spillane June 13, 1916 1,751,921 Jordan i Mar. 25, 1930 2,352,521 Du Mais June 27, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 390,732 Great Britain i Apr. 13, 1933 420,968 Great Britain Dec. 1l, 1934 

